His Dark Desire
by hisdarkdesire
Summary: Zutara! Three years after Fall of Ozai. After seeing Katara again, Zuko begins to question his devotion to Mai, causing great arguments, female grudges, gorgeous dances, and the like. Enjoy!
1. Wandering Thoughts

His Dark Desire  
Chapter 1 "Wandering Thoughts"

"Oh, Zuko, the Avatar and his girlfriend are here." I looked up at the voice of the woman whom I had fallen in love with more than 3 years ago. After the Avatar had defeated my father 3 years ago, I had been crowned Firelord Zuko. A person who ruled all of the Fire Nation and would be looked upon with hatred and fear in the people of other countries eyes.

"Did they bring Appa with them?"I asked remembering the huge, flying bison that had carried so many of my memories with and of the Avatar Aang and his companions.

"I'm not sure, I can't see the beast." Mai hated Appa, she thought it was unhygienic and repulsive.

"Lets go down to meet them." I stood up and walked toward my girlfriend and gently pulled her away from the window where one could see the whole capital city. I led her to the Entrance Hall where Aang and a stunning woman were taking off their wrappings. It was winter, and unusually cold for the normally blistery Fire Nation.

"Zuko," Aang beamed at me, the airbender was always happy and constantly had a smile about him. "How are you? Mai as well, I hope you are not letting the Firelord work too hard." Aang's arrow tattoos along his arms, legs, and across his head looked almost alive in the firelight and seemed extra blue.

"Of course not, actually right now he is in the seat of luxury" Mai drawled her pleasantries with the world's most important man. Even though the Avatar was only 16 years old, he had experienced many things and therefore looked older and wiser than he was.

I finally looked and the woman Aang had brought with him, his 'girlfriend' Mai had said, though Katara was almost 2 years older than Aang. She was wearing blue, symbolizing her as a member of the Water tribes. I knew her to be from the South Pole and there it was always snowing. The blue she wore today though was different then any other robe I had seen her in. In was a deep, dark navy blue and brought out the highlights in her chocolate hair. Her eyes looked extremely relaxed. I immediately thought that she looked as if she had come home.

"Katara, where have you been? Aang was pining after you the entire festival last year, it was a little pathetic." I laughed and she rolled her eyes, "How are you?" I politely led her into small talk, which I knew she hated. Katara preferred to always go straight for the important stuff, things that interested her, things that she could sympathize with, things that she disliked.

Katara blushed and smiled, "I was in the Northern Water Tribe spending time with some of my friends from there, I've actually been appointed as the Intertribe Ambassador of sorts."

"I actually think I heard something about that." I thought back for a moment recalling a letter I had received from the King of the Water Tribes. He had said that he wanted better communication between the North and South Tribes and the rest of the world so Katara became the world-wide, waterbending messenger. "I guess he didn't give you much of a choice, am I right?" I knew the king to be somewhat demanding and always expected and answer to his liking.

"No, not really but, hey, I love the job and since I travel with Aang so much, I have always had plenty of news for how the world is getting along." Katara paused then looked into my eyes, "I'm glad that the Water Tribes have completely forgiven the Fire Nation, If they didn't, well, lets just say that the Fire Nation would have a little extra water this year." She laughed and walked past me to say 'hello' to Mai.

"Avatar Aang, come on and I'll show you to your chambers." I picked up the airbender's yellow coat and walked with him to the middle of the palace, where everything happened. The kitchens were directly off the corridor that led to Aang's rooms and as we passed, we took a long sniff of the amazing smells wafting around. I turned right through a large lobby sort of room that I explained to Aang would be sort of a commons room for any people that would come to talk to him. It had shimmering gold curtains that hung to the side of the ceiling-to-floor windows. The walls had pictures of past Avatars and some of their adventures, the latest of these was Avatar Aang's own story. There were 4 pictures connected together by elaborately carved iron vines.

The first picture was one of a large iceberg with the silhouette of a boy, the next was one of the Northern Water Tribe where he helped defeat the onslaught of Admiral Zhou. The third depicted a huge cavern where a woman was holding the Avatar in her arms and weeping. Finally, the fourth of Aang in the Avatar State, taking away my father's ability to firebend and ultimately ending the war that had gone on for a hundred years. I stared longer at the picture of Katara holding Aang, _"I wonder if she is happy with him."_ Somewhere inside me shook and whispered in my mind _"She could never fall in love with a man like him."_ I jumped at the feeling, and glanced at Aang whose eyes looked like they were far away. "_Or somewhere a long time ago_." I knew what he was thinking about.

"Aang, I have to show you the rest of the rooms." I gently elbowed the Avatar, who jumped and blinked a couple times.

"Of course," He glanced once more at the quartet of pictures and strode on.

His bedroom was a very comfortable one, the mattress was stuffed with feathers, and covered in silken room was like any other in the palace but it had something else in the feel of it that other rooms lacked. Power. Like the man who would be living in these rooms, it had hidden abilities, such as secret doors that led to almost any passage in the palace, except my quarters.

"Zuko, these rooms are amazing!" The airbender flew around the rooms looking at all the pictures and through the windows. Suddenly Aang stopped, turned around, and gasped, "Momo!" Aang ran back out the doors and towards the barns where we had a stable of sorts made just for Appa. I laughed and walked back to the rooms that Mai was supposed to be showing Katara.

Katara's were special. They were situated above the eastern gardens of the palace. The colors in the rooms were different than any other. There were flashes of blue mingled in with the usual red and gold. I had commissioned one of the palace's best weavers to create a large tapestry that had silvery images of villages, waterfalls and many beautiful lakes. One of the waterfalls was a bright blue and stood out among all the rest.  
I found Katara looking at this tapestry when I knocked on her open door. She turned and looked at me with those burning blue eyes and I knew she was going to ask why I had done all of this for her.

"Zuko," She began, I held up my hand for her to stop.

"These will be your rooms whenever you are visiting the Fire Nation. I wanted you to be more comfortable without everything being red." I smiled and Katara gave me one of her half smiles. "I hope you like it."

With that she gave me a real smiled and it made her eyes shine. _"She is gorgeous, and has a wonderful mind." _I shook the idea out of my head and thought about how beautiful and wonderful my girlfriend was. That made me feel guilty.

Katara walked over to a dresser that had a large mirror hanging over it. The mirror had encrusted snowflakes with bits of sapphires in the middles. She sat down at the cushioned chair and turned to face me. "Yes, I think I will be quite comfortable." I acknowledged her with a nod of my head and walked back out.

Before I crossed the door frame, I looked back and saw her just sitting in front of the mirror. I could see myself in the reflection and my mind played a trick on me. It looked like I was holding her necklace in my hand and she had her own hand placed on mine in a loving caress. I left and shook my head wondering why I should start feeling this way when I had known her for so long.


	2. A Performance

His Dark Desire  
Chapter 2 "A Performance"

That night the Mid-Winter festival began and the whole city was alight with paper lamps and people from all over the world came to join the Fire Nation in its biggest party of the year. I talked with Toph and her parents, who had accompanied her here one week ago. Benders from the Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom and of course from the Fire Nation showed their talents.  
Before I left to the stands where the earth king, the Water tribe king, Aang and I would preside over the celebrations, I stopped at Mai's room and led her onto the platform. She was resplendent in a deep gold robe with intricate red flowers embroidered on the hems and down her arms and legs, and had red roses in her black satin hair.

"You look beautiful tonight." I kissed her lightly.

"I should, seeing as I spent four hours getting ready." Mai laughed a smokey laugh and wrapped my arms around her slim waist. _"She is the woman I have always dreamed of."_ I smiled, I had not let my mind get away from me by wondering what Katara looked like tonight. I soon found out.

In front of and below the Royal stands were many seats for all of the spectators of tonight's show. Every day of the festival had a theme, tonight's was Brilliance. The stage was lit with large flickering candles and made the first dancers shimmer.

They were waterbenders and all female. Five were making ice flowers fall around and were then swooped up by the two other blue-women. They in turn used a little of the water to make a mist on the back of the stage so it looked like a wintery night was snowing. They used the rest of the water to push and pull all around in large circles, all the while in beat with the music that was stirring and felt like the song would blow away in the wind. At the climax of the song the women came together and formed a tight circle waving the water in designs above their heads. Then a drum was pounded and the water designs froze midair. They had formed a huge snowflake in the air. The waterbenders formed a line and let the water fall into vases set around the stage.

I stood up as so did others and applauded the amazing women. It was then that I realized that the lead waterbender was Katara. I did not recognize her at first because all over her hair was pulled into a low bun at the nape of her neck and had glittering makeup on her eyes.

I heard Mai stifle a yawn and I frowned. Only she could find that performance boring. Next were earthbenders and their performance was nothing like the delicate dance of water. It pounded and vibrated with a sturdy beat that made your heart shake and bounce. The men turned the rocks they had brought on stage hollow and beat them like they were drums. It made the entire city echo when they were finished.

After that a firebending group went on. They called themselves the Red Demons and were a mixed group of non- benders and benders. I found myself looking at Aang's date during the entire performance. Instead of any normal blue she chose an extremely light blue gown. So light that it appeared white. It had blue flowers on the color and a large blue iris was in Katara's bun. When she was on the stage, I hadn't seen the tiny jewels that lined just above her eyelashes, but now her eyes sparkled with the reflections coming from the dancer's flames.

The performance ended and I came back to my senses. Dancing would continue during the rest of the night and would not end until dawn. I wrapped my arms around Mai and kissed her on her luscious, red lips.

"What was that for?" She asked, her eyes half closed.

"I guess I just couldn't resist your beauty." Mai smiled and put her hand in the crook of my arm and let me lead her to the dance floor.

The first dance was one where the women stand in a large circle and the men step in a larger circle around them. As the men walk they clap their hands then switch directions, clap again and walk towards their partner. The lady holds out her hand and the men clasp it and then switch sides. Then the women are on the outside and they all hold hands and walk in an complicate step. Sometime during the dance you switch partners and the next lady in line is your new one. Katara was three above me and I felt a pang of jealousy towards the man who was now taking her hand so he could lead her through the dance sequence.

The dance ended and Mai and I wandered toward a group of Mai's close friends, which meant the Firelord in the middle of a bunch of giggling girls. I watched Katara walk with Aang towards Toph and a man I didn't know.

"My Lord," A certain Lady Diao began, returning my attention the women who I should have been listening to. "My Lord, do you know what the Avatar's friend's name is?" She pointed toward Katara.

"Of course, that is the Water Tribe Ambassador Katara," I lifted my one eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

Diao exchanged smirks with Ty Lee "Because," She took me by the arm and let me away from the group of young women. "You have been staring at her the whole night" I jumped.

"Lady Diao, what do you mean? I wasn't, and besides why can't the Firelord look at one of his old friends?" I glared at her and she stared right back, an icy feeling crawled up my spine.

"One, the Firelord has a wonderful girlfriend, and two, that Katara woman is the Avatar's girl" She raised one of her brows and gave a saucy tilt of the head. "Remember that you may be the Firelord, but that boy," Diao pointed at Aang, who was entertaining a group of children with some airbending tricks. "Has more power than you could dream of. Think about that." She flipped around and lightly strolled back to her friends.

Mai looked up at me in question and I shook my head. I left, it had been a long night. When I reached my bedroom I pulled off my crown and set it carefully on the bedside table. I knew I should have called for a servant but I didn't want to be bothered. _"Lady Diao was right, I need to forget what ever I was thinking about Katara and look more to Mai and what future we might hold."_ With that I fell on my bed and was asleep in five minutes.

I was suddenly walking in a white expanse. I realized it was snow, and I must be in one of the Water Tribes. I heard a voice "Zuko, what are you doing here?" I turned and Katara was standing in the white robe that I had seen her in that evening. Once again I thought that she looked like a bride, "You are amazing," I said and looked down and saw I was in wedding robes as well. She looked up and her eyes were suddenly reflecting lightning. A bolt hit her and I turned to see Azula laughing maniacally "Your turn soon, brother!" Katara was bleeding, red staining the pure white of her gown. There was nothing I could do to help and I could feel something inside of me breaking.  
Then I woke up.


	3. Help For The Weary Mind

His Dark Desire

Chapter 3 "Help for the Weary Mind"

Kisana is mine, I created her, so chill.  
______________________________________________________________________________

That afternoon I had tea with the old gang. Katara, Aang, Toph, Sokka, Suki and I all met in the gardens and enjoyed jasmine tea, in honor of my late Uncle Iroh. Iroh had passed away only that year but the Jasmine Dragon tea shop was still in Ba Sing Se. Aang and Sokka and I were teasing Toph while Katara and Suki gossiped with one another.

"Zuko, you must make Katara take a vacation from her duties. She is killing herself!" Suki exclaimed all of a sudden, bringing all other conversations to a halt.

"It's not like I work hard Suki," Katara gave her friend an exasperated look. "I get to travel around and talk to people."

"Zuko, tell her!" Suki looked pointedly at me.

"Hey, if she likes her job let her kill herself over it, no need to force her to enjoy herself." I laughed and Suki pursed her lips. Katara then started telling me about the places she and Aang had seen that year. Villages, the building of another grand earth city, amazing waterfalls, the large swamp that had very strange people living in it.

"Katara, what was your favorite place?" I asked.

"Hmm. . . probably the Falls of Chang Sai. The water is green as it falls and then turns into crashing waves that rise at least ten feet above the surface of the lake in goes into. The trees all around it are beautiful and there is a large rock right in the middle of the falls." Katara smiled and I pictured her placed on the rock with her legs dangling off and idly waterbending. "If you have an airbender with you, you can land right on the rock and it is a perfect picnic spot. That is, if you don't mind not being able to hear anything."

"I would love to see that," Sokka nudged Aang and I heard him whisper "That would be the perfect place to propose to Suki!" Aang smiled and whispered back, "Maybe that can be arranged after the festival."

I looked back to the women who had gotten up and were walking around and picking up fallen flower petals and arranging them in Toph's hair. Katara was wearing a green dress and it enhanced everything about her. Her eyes, her glowing skin, the way her hair shone in the sunlight._ "Mai could never look this beautiful."_ My traitorous mind whispered to me. _"Katara is the only woman of your dreams."_ Then I remembered Lady Diao's threat and I made a promise to see Mai that day and bring her something special. What, I had no idea, but there was a woman that I could bring without feeling uncomfortable.

Kisana was the daughter of the newly appointed governor of Ember Island. I had met her once when I was young and she had become my favorite female friend in the Fire Nation. She had extremely short hair, so short you could mistake her for a boy, but was very feminine. She was a firebender but chose instead to fight with the circular blade of a chakram. Once, when I had brought out my twin swords to the practice grounds, she lit her chakram "Kirin" ablaze. We used our weapons combined with our fire and dueled each other. She had beat me. It was then that she became one of my best friends.

Later that afternoon I called on her in her town house. "Firelord Zuko, what a pleasant surprise," Kisana smiled sarcastically and showed me to her sitting room. "What brings you here?"

"I actually need you to help me pick out a present for Mai." I smiled sheepishly, knowing that I really came her just to have her help me clear my mind.

"Yeah, right." Kisana pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow.

"No, really, Mai's birthday is coming up and I want something special for her!"

"Zuko, what's the real problem." She had seen through my lie.

"Well," I rubbed the back of my neck. "Well, I. . ."

"Lets talk about it while we shop, eh?" Kisana grabbed a cloak.

We entered the market and I immediately started walking towards jewelry. Kisana grabbed me by the arm muttering "Wow, he really does need help." She pulled me to a weaponry store.

"So, when did Mai like weapons more than jewelry?" I asked as Kisana poured over their daggers and throwing knives.

"Well, when was the last time you saw Mai wear jewelry?" I thought for a moment. "I thought so, you can't remember. Now, when was the last time you saw her play with sharp things?"

I thought back to breakfast this morning. Mai had been unconsciously twirling her breakfast knife through her fingers. "Today," I said grudgingly.

Kisana smirked and pulled an engraved short sword out. It was gold and red "Typical," I thought. There was and inscription though, it read _"the danger of passion"_

"Well that's one I've never heard before," Kisana looked more closely at the inscription and held the sword out so I could hold it. It was light, but felt a little out of balance and I set it back down.

"No, something shorter, or more. . . throw-able. Like this!" I held up a tiny dagger, no longer than my pinky finger. It also was engraved but it had black, swirly designs instead of words. It was expensive, too, which made it a much better present in Mai's eyes. "On the subject of sharp objects, what was it you really needed to talk about." Kisana leaned against the counter as I bought Mai's gift. _"Dang it, she remembered." _

"Well, it has to do with a lady." I started hesitantly, I didn't want to tell her Katara's name, but she would get it out of me eventually.

"Really, this sounds eventful" Kisana wandered back into the market and started picking out fruits.

"I've known her for more than three years, it's just now that I've started thinking about her. Last night I even had a dream about her. I only saw her again just yesterday! As soon as I saw her I felt something inside me change, I don't know what's going on." I had a sudden flashback and remembered the time she had hugged me, so many years ago, I recalled the smell of her hair and the feel of her hands around my neck. It had felt right. But then the war ended, and in the heat of it all, I had hooked backup with Mai.

"Well, it's just a little obvious, Zuko. You are in love with her."


	4. War Plans

His Dark Desire

Chapter 4 "War Plans"

My friends, I give you chapter four, complete with Zutara goodness, the decline of maiko, and other goodies. Review Review Review!

"What?" I cried. There was no way I could be in love with Katara, I had just spent the last three years with Mai. I loved Mai, I just bought her a random present!

"So what's been going on ever since you saw Katara again?" Kisana said smugly.

"Nothing," I was frantic, what does Katara have that Mai possibly can't give me? "Let me count the ways," My traitorous mind smirked. Wrong question. I had instantly remembered how alluring her eyes were and how she had looked last night, and Lady Diao's words. "I must be in love with her," My mind cheered.

I realized it now, I had always loved her. Even back when I was hunting the Avatar, "Her boyfriend." My shoulders slumped.

Kisana grinned and led me back to the palace. My mind was in shock. I couldn't think, I had no coordination. Every time I stepped on a raised cobblestone, I stumbled.

As soon as Kisana had forced me to drink some vile concoction, my mind snapped back.

"What am I going to do?" My shoulders were still drooped.

"Well, you are going to have to win her from the Avatar." Kisana grinned. I knew what she was thinking. I was going to run to Katara, proclaim my love for her, sweep her off her feet and live happily ever after. But life wasn't that easy. In order to do any of that I would have to do the unthinkable. I had to break up with Mai.

I started planning. How would I do the deed? I should probably tell her to her face. Otherwise, she might think me afraid of her. Even though I was. Last time I broke up with her it had been through a letter. When I saw her after that she had called me a coward. Mai knows how to get under people's skin and she had punched a pressure point when she said that. Afterwards, she had saved my life, and others' - people, in the end, that would uproot her country and destroy the Fire Nation's twisted power. But she had betrayed Azula, Mai had defended me. "This isn't helping," I told myself.

I decided to give Mai her new dagger, but only to ease the pain. "Won't that be cowardly too?" I started pacing my bedroom. I hadn't noticed Kisana leave but when I looked up she was gone. I desperately needed her advice. I left my rooms and followed after her.

As I passed the summer breakfast room, I saw her in the courtyard just outside. I was just about to open the door when I saw Mai as well. Mai and Kisana were not the best of friends, "Probably one of the reasons Kisana was so excited for me to dump Mai."

"Kisana, where did you go with Zuko?" I heard Mai ask, territorially.

"Shopping," Kisana hid a smirk by smiling innocently.

"Then why did Zuko come back looking like a dead man?" Mai had been watching us?

"I guess we shopped too long," This time Kisana couldn't hold the saucy smile back. "Oh and by the way, he got you a lovely present." Kisana saw me and snickered. "Tell him he's a lucky man."

By this time I had pressed up against the wall, hidden behind a paper screen. I saw Kisana's silhouette through the screen and I sighed in relief. But then I had to choke it back.

"Hello, is there someone there?" Mai was standing right in front of me. Luckily a servant passed by who had a bad cough."Don't cough over everything!" Mai commanded. Sometimes Mai acted a little bit too much like Azula had. Azula loved ordering people around, and it had rubbed off onto Mai. In fact the day before I had broken up with her last time, she wanted to cheer me up by ordering servants to get me food, and a palanquin ride throughout the city.

Mai left, and I went back to my wandering the palace. I walked into the east gardens and sat down in a terras. Clematis grew up the wooden terras and the light coming through had a strange color. I sat there and thought, about Mai, Katara, the kingdom, how I was ever going to convince Katara she loved me instead of Aang.

Presently, I saw some movement above the garden, and I realized too late that Katara's rooms were just above. Katara entered and walked over to me.

"Hey Zuko," Katara smiled and her eyes shone with happiness. Then they were clouded over. "Zuko, you don't look so good. I hope you aren't working too hard."

"Oh it's nothing, I just have a lot on my mind." Like how her hips swayed when she walked and the whole atmosphere exuded peace and beauty when Katara was around. "Lets take a walk," I knew I was making a mistake, but I wanted to spend time with her.

"Umm. . . Ok," Katara said hesitantly. I held out my arm and she took it, the light pressure felt like some new responsibility, but I hadn't done anything. Yet. I was suddenly aware of how I was dressed. My Firelord clothing had never bothered me before that moment, but all of a sudden, I felt ridiculous. I had a tall, stiff collar, wings on my shoulders, and my hair in a bun. It was horrible.

I needed something to talk about. How long had I been quiet? Shouldn't I be talking, I was the one who invited her on this walk.

"I love the spring," I said, silently cursing myself at the same time. Katara looked up at me, probably wondering what, in the name of Agni, I was saying. I was beginning to wonder that myself.

"It's not spring," Katara said simply.

"Oh," And the silence dragged on.

Suddenly, Katara reached up and flicked one of my shoulder spikes. It made a loud 'TWANG'

"Nice outfit," Katara laughed flicking it again. I tried not to die of shame.

"It's a tradition thing," I mumbled, grinding my teeth. "It's always been like that in the Fire Nation."

Katara smirked. "Just like world dominance? You're the Firelord now, you can change it."

I cringed. She was right, but I wouldn't let her see it. "I like the spikes," I said, almost succeeding in sounding confident.

"Oh, you enjoy the fact that if you turn around too quickly, you might poke an eye out?" Katara was still laughing.

"Yes," I said acidly. Katara stopped laughing and looked at me. I could see that she was getting angry, and for some reason I liked it. I wouldn't allow her to get to me like that.

"You like thinking that you can hurt people?" Katara's face was angry. My resolve to tell her I loved her crumbled and for that I was even more angry. I leaned close to her face and said, "I love it."

Katara leaned in as well and said, "I don't know why, but that reminds me of a certain war that your family relished. They too, enjoyed pain and suffering, as long as they weren't the ones in agony." Something inside me exploded. I leaned down and kissed her.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and suddenly she was kissing back, just as passionately. Her fingered were twisted in my hair, and I could smell rain, cleanliness, and cold, all in the same moment. We broke apart. "It's so much easier to express yourself when you're angry." Kisana had told me this, and I'd agreed until she added it was a character flaw. Now I embraced the fact. I pressed my forehead against Katara's and we breathed in tandem. Quick, gasping breaths that told me her heart was racing as well.

Then, Katara was backing away from me, "This was a bad idea. I don't know what came over me." With that, she turned and ran out of the garden. I looked at the pond next to me. The water was frozen over.


	5. Bittersweet

His Dark Desire  
Chapter 5 "Bittersweet"

_"I learned this, at least, by my experiment;  
that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams,  
and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined,  
he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."_

I stumbled back to my rooms and slipped on my robes for tonight's festivities. I put Mai's dagger in one of my pockets and wandered out of my chamber. Then I was in front of Mai's door. I guess my subconscious told me to go pick her up. I lifted my hand and almost knocked, but then, I dropped my arm, turned around and walked away.

Instead, I left the palace, and went to Kisana's home for the second time that day. Her parents had arrived, so the governor and I made small talk until Kisana was ready to leave. It was extremely awkward, I felt like I was courting Kisana.

When she finally came down, she looked surprised to see me, "Zuko, what are you doing here?" Kisana asked too innocently. _"She knows that I left without Mai, and she is triumphant."_ I thought looking at her sweet smirk. We bade her family good night, and left for the city square.

"So," Kisana wrapped her arm around mine in a conspiratorial way. "So, what was so important that you would hie over here without your beloved girlfriend?" She wanted to gossip.

"I have a lot to tell you," I recounted the whole day after the shopping trip. How I had hid from Mai, what happened in the garden, and my thoughts on the matter. Kisana interrupted several times, all while incredulous I had gone against Mai and kissed Katara.

When we entered the square, I led her to the stands and she sat down in the chair that was supposed to be mine. Seated next to the only empy chair, was the blushing Katara. _"Kisana," I whined. "Why are you so conniving? Why are you forcing me to sit by Katara?"_ I stiffly sat down, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw what she was wearing. It was a long, dress, with wrap-around sleeves. The dress was yellow. She had a blue sash tied around her waist, held on with a red-tinted, bronze rose. She had a necklace that had a crimson rose for a pendant.  
_  
"The yellow represents Aang, the blue, Katara,"_ Then I stopped and looked full on at Katara's necklace and brooch. _"They're red, could that mean . . "_ I didn't finish my sentence, not wanting to give myself false hope. Katara looked up at me and gave a polite nod. Then the Avatar sat down next to her and kissed her lightly on the lips.

Katara's already pink face, turned bright red, and turned away from his kiss. She looked in my direction and lowered her eyes. I looked at Kisana, who had a wild grin on her face.

"Kisana," I hissed. "What's wrong with you?" Her grin changed to a wicked smile and a mischievous glint lighted up her eyes.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. I must say," Kisana leaned forward and looked at Katara. "Your dress is beautiful, wouldn't you say so too, Zuko?"

I forced a smile and muttered a compliment to Katara's double-sided dress. Katara smiled brightly at Kisana and started talking over my head about the performance and the festival. _"Great,"_ I thought. "_They're becoming friends_." Then I heard my name I had to look up. Mai was standing in front of me.

"Why didn't you pick me up? I've been waiting in my rooms for the past half-hour!" Mai spat furiously.

"I . . . I . . ." My stammering mouth matched the beating of my heart.

"I bumped into him on the way to my rooms. I was looking for something." Katara was defending me! She looked up into Mai's venomous eyes.  
"By the time we found it, it was extremely late, so we thought that you had left already. Kisana found us and so Zuko led Kisana and I to the stands." I saw Aang look up at her lie, knowing full well that I had arrived with Kisana after he had come with Katara.  
Mai didn't miss the look either.

"Stop lying. I know you better than that." Mai's hand twitched. That reminded me of her present.

"He's not lying, Mai," Kisana stood up. That firebender was always willing for a fight. If there was a brawl between anyone, servants or nobles, she was in the thick of it. _"She usually starts them."_ "Don't you trust him?" The challenge hung in the air, everyone was holding their breath.

"Of course," Mai simpered. Kisana sat back down, making herself comfortable. Mai's eyes narrowed, she turned and walked off of the platform. I sighed in relief, causing Katara to look at me strangely.

"Katara, I forgot to congratulate you for your wonderful performance last night. You looked stunning." I wanted to tell her that she was beautiful but that would have been impossible without a full out fight exploding from Mai's direction. Katara looked at her lap, smiling faintly.

Then the concert ended. And the dancing began. I first took Kisana onto the floor. Kisana loved to dance, mostly to flirt with all the other dancers and not the one she happened to be partnered with. While we were twirling around, I gazed at Katara. She was so graceful and amazingly stunning. The song was one of joy and gaiety, but I was getting angry with myself.

I was such a coward. A selfish, idiotic coward. Mai's dagger in my pocket brought new anger. I bought the weapon to help ease me breaking up with Mai. She had threatened me to never break up with her, but I had been shackled to her for too long. Three years was like three eternities to me. The dance was over and I left Kisana standing in the middle of the floor so I could find Mai. _"The sooner it's over with, the better."_ Were my only thoughts.

Mai was standing with Ty Lee and Lady Diao. "Mai, come dance with me," Was my feeble attempt to lure her away from her friends. Surprisingly it worked. She sighed a good-bye and took my hand from my side. The next song was slow and allowed people to talk to their partners. I took advantage of this and immediately began with, "What a long three years this has been." Mai looked at me curiously.

"Yes, it has been." Her brow furrowed together.

"Mai, I want to tell you how kind you have been to me." _"I sound pathetic"_ I grimaced inwardly at the realization. "You really helped me through the whole post-war happenings." Mai began to blush and smile widely. _"She thinks I'm going to propose to her!"_ Now I was sweating. "But, I think its time we broke up." Her face went blank.

"What?" Was her flat reply.

"I just can't keep lying to myself. I think you are an amazing woman, but I can't spend the rest of my life with you." Mai bowed, deep and low. It was part of the dance, but I knew that she was saying good bye. I caught Mai's hand before she left and slipped the dagger into it. Her hand curled around it and she held it up to the light.

"You are a lying fool." Her monotone voice hissed. "You think that you can just dump any idiot woman you like? Ha, I don't think so." She tightened her hand into a fist and a droplet of blood glistened on her white skin.

"Well," I said to no one, "That went better than expected."

**I broke up with Mai! Mwahahaha! Ok, in my reviews I would love to know what you think of Mai. Does she need more venom? More destruction and death?**


	6. Frivolity and Anger

His Dark Desire

Chap. 6 "Frivolity and Anger"

**Zutara… Zutara… Zutara…. ! Yay! I love Kisana, she has the greatest attitude, so sarcastic. If Katara wasn't meant for Zuko, then I'd totally have Kisana go for him. **

I sighed and turned around, looking into the dancers for a friendly face. I saw a spiky hairdo and looked at Kisana, hand in hand with a noble. She stepped lightly to the music, greatly contrasting her lumbering partner. I recalled his face, but not his name. He was from the Earth Kingdom and was the Secretary of State. The dance was almost over, so I managed to be patient.

"Kisana," I called as soon as the music ended. "Will you dance with me?" I didn't want the Earth Kingdom Noble, _"Xiahou Qu,"_ I remembered, to think I was dating her. Though, by asking her, probably made him think that even more. _"Great, now, apparently, I'm courting three women at a time."_

"Sure," Kisana replied, aloof. The music began and I groaned. This particular song was one where you hardly had time to speak to your partner, much less tell her important news. We started leaping and exchanging partners.

"Mai and I," Was all I managed before we were given a temporary partner and swung them around. Kisana was handed back to me, "Mai and I broke up!" Then it was off to the left and a new partner grasped my hand and pranced in a square with me.

"What?" Kisana's eyes were huge once I was dancing again with her. "When?"

"Just now. I gave her the dagger and she almost threw it at me!" I could feel my own eyes, wide and golden.

"What did she say?"

"She threatened me, she said I was going to regret it," Kisana rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Of course she did. What did you expect? For her to take it graciously? In Agni's name, so help me . . . " We clapped, according to the dance and we could breath again. The dance had skidded to an exhausted stop. Kisana walked over to the refreshments and I followed. "Come on, let's get dinner." I dogged behind her and sat down at the long tables, groaning with food.

I gasped as I saw Katara glance over at us, in the table across from us. I noticed Aang was missing. _"Why'd he leave?"_ Frankly, I didn't care where he was. Katara stood up and walked over to me and sat down.

"Do you mind if I eat with you guys?" She peered into my eyes.

I stuttered a "No, go ahead," and collapsed into silence.

Kisana was elbowing me, and clearing her throat and grinning. "Er, Kisana's your name, right?" Katara smiled lightly at my friend.

"Yes, and you're Katara, I've heard a lot about you. Hey, you were awesome when you helped Zuko and I."

Another elbow to my ribs.

"Oh, yeah, you were great. Thanks." I remembered the last time I had thanked Katara when she defended me. She had healed me of a terrible wound, practically keeping me alive. I had fought my sister, Azula, and after taunting her, Azula had thrown a lighting bolt at Katara. I saved her life by jumping in front of it. In turn, Katara battled Azula and defeated her, healing me right after.

That decided me, I had to talk to Katara. But she beat me to it, "Zuko, how about we take a walk?" I nodded, wondering what could she want to say to me. _"Does she want to tell me to back off, and leave her alone? Or does she asking on this walk so that she can tell me that she loves me?"_ I chuckled at my own foolishness, and shook the idea out of my head.

I stood up, bidding Kisana good-night. We left the dining area and entered the heart of the festivities. Here people were selling masks, treats, costumes, and any other thing you could imagine.

"Zuko, what happened earlier today, I . . . I don't know what came over me. I hope that doesn't change anything between us."

I stopped her, looked into her eyes and said, "When you came back, something changed. That kiss was just a confirmation."

She blushed. "Zuko, you are not allowed to kiss anyone but Mai. Nor am I. Aang would be crushed if that changed."

"Katara, you can't possibly love him, he's only sixteen. You are eighteen and shouldn't be tied to a boy."

She huffed, putting her hands on her hips and narrowing her eyes. "That boy is the only airbender alive on the planet, and the Avatar. I'd say he's more mature than any normal sixteen year old."

I saw him in the crowd, spinning around on a ball of air and laughing with other children. I pointed at him. "Oh, he's sure is mature for his age. Katara, please, you know that he never understands you, never listens to you and never has never kissed you like I did today." I sounded bitter, even to my ears. She swallowed nervously and looked at her feet. "Oh, and Mai and I broke up. So I can kiss who I want."

So I did, I cupped her face in my hands and pressed my lips against hers. Her eyes flew open and she broke away. Water smashed onto the side of my face, freezing onto my scar. I lit a small flame in my hand and melted the ice as Katara walked away, every so often chucking icicles.

That night I lay in my bed, wondering once again if Katara could ever think me as a candidate in love. I thought about Aang, the airbender was so much like a child. Katara was too compassionate for her own good sometimes. She sacrificed her happiness so Aang would be happy. _"Why don't I just find Aang a different girl?"_ I smiled inwardly, _"Toph likes him, I already know that. Every time he walks in the room, she smiles. How many times have I seen her punch him on the arm?"_ Toph's way of showing affection was an easy way for people to know that her heart would always be Aang's. Even if he didn't know it.

My mind switched to Mai. What would she do? She would get her revenge somehow, however indifferent she was, she was also clever. Not as cunning as my witch of a sister, Azula, but enough that she could make my life miserable if she wanted, _"Or my girlfriend's life."_ If Katara and I ever became a couple, Mai would probably kill Katara. Then again, Katara could defend herself. As a master waterbender, she could also bend blood. She could over power another body, using simply her will. But, in order to bloodbend, she had to have the full moon's influence. Slowly I choreographed a fight between Mai and Katara as I slipped into sleep.

In the morning, I went to my study. The large official room was spartan, but had a official air in it. Once you walked in, you felt your back straighten and whatever your reason to be there, became a concrete mission. I wanted to clear my head, and envelope myself in the duties of Firelord.

As I signed legal papers and official documents, I heard noises coming from the practice grounds out the window. I looked outside and saw Kisana, fighting without her chakrams to ward off Katara's crashing waves of water. Kisana was not a powerful firebender, she didn't like to burn people, 'Too messy,' She had once said, pointing at my monstrous scar. Looking at the pounding waves of water, I noted that water didn't leave scars, instead removing scars.

When Aang had defeated my father, he had cleansed the burning earth with water, removing the flames that were killing everything. The water helped heal the Earth Kingdom's scars after 100 years of warring with my nation. Katara had once offered to heal me of my scar, and I have always wondered what my face would look like to my people without it. _"I wonder if my scar is the reason Katara thinks me repulsive."_I felt the lines and withering skin that stretched from the top of my right eyebrow, or at least where my eyebrow would be, and reaching into my hair line and down the right side of my face, ending at my jawbone.

I stood up, walking over to the window and resting my hand on the sill. Katara and Kisana had finished their mini-battle and were congratulating one another on their skills. I listened to the sounds of their laughter and sighed, closing my eyes. I was bored. Bored even to the brink of joining them. So I did.

I clattered down the stairs leading to the grounds, where Katara and Kisana had started to duel each other again. Kisana had picked up her blades and was throwing them around, at the same time chucking balls of fire at Katara, who had her arms wrapped in water and slapping the fire and spinning chakrams away. Katara and Kisana both looked up when they heard me walking towards them.

"Hey, Zuko, care to join us? Katara here is humiliating me." Kisana laughed. Katara blushed uncomfortably and let the water flow down her arms and into the pouches at her sides.

"I actually heard you guys from my study window and decided I was too bored not to be out here with you." I looked at Katara and smiled broadly. I wanted her to know that I had decided to spend more time with her, whether she liked it or not.

"Great," Kisana continued. "You can take over for me, while I get a drink. When I come back I want Katara to be burnt to a crisp." She beamed and flounced away.

Katara's water flew out of the pouches and I got in my stance. I shot a huge flame at her face and Katara flicked it away lazily.

"Oh, come on, Zuko, after beating Azula, I'd say you can do better than just a few sparks." She smiled seductively and a huge wave came crashing down on my forehead. It froze, but I did a trick that Uncle Iroh had taught me when I was hunting the Avatar. The fire breath, melting and vaporizing all traces of water on my skin and clothes. She threw ice daggers at me, and I retaliated by dodging them and sending a few of my own. One hit a pouch at her side, spilling all of the liquid inside of it. Katara looked up, aghast that I had ruined one of her precious pouches. I smiled wickedly and tried to destroy the other. Water extinguished the flames and wrapped around my wrists. I pulled away, doing a back-flip at the same time, shooting fire out of my toes. While I was in mid-air, water pulled at my knees and I was smacked into the ground.

Katara started to whistle idly and her eyes were flickering with merriment. She began to giggle and soon she was doubled over with laughter. I got up, dusted myself off, and then had to pick myself up again when I had fallen down, shaking with mirth.

Kisana found us that way a couple minutes later.

"What happened?" She said looking at me from above. I wiped a few tears from my eyes and chuckled a little more.

Katara walked over to me and helped me stand. She splashed some water into my face, smirking. "I didn't know it was possible to get dirt on a Firelord's face."

**You had better review and tell me what you think of the fight or I will be very, very sad. And, you have to remember. I wrote this the summer Atla ended. Pretty much just after watching the very last episode, I ran upstairs and started on this because I was so mad. **


	7. Bread and Butter

His Dark Desire  
Chapter 7 "Bread and Butter"

Before I could go to lunch, I had to change my dirty clothes and bathe. When I was through with that, I stopped by Sokka's room. I knocked and a muffled, "come in" sounded through the oak door. I walked in and snorted.

Sokka was sprawled across the bed, blankets thrown around the floor. He looked up expectantly, and the grin on his face slowly slid off, and then Sokka groaned.

"Hey Firelordy," he bowed his head. "I thought you were breakfast."

My eyebrows flew into my shaggy hair, "Have you been in bed all morning?" I asked incredulously.

Sokka blinked a few times and smacked his lips, "Does that mean it's lunchtime? Even better," he hopped out of bed and pulled on a shirt. "Let's go,"

I appraised his wild hair, and then took a deep sniff. I retched, "Sokka, your hair, your breath! Go and clean yourself up, please, I don't want plants to die as you walk past them."

He turned around and walked to the bathroom directly off the right-hand corner of the room, all the while grumbling. "Fine, deprive me of my food, by all means."

An idea jumped into my head and I couldn't ignore it, "Has Katara talked to you lately?" I asked the shaving Sokka. Last year he had begun to grow a beard, and yesterday he decided he wanted to shave it off, (Suki had been complaining about the prickly feeling whenever she kissed him).

"No, she hasn't, why do you ask?" Sokka looked at me through the mirror, suspiciously.

"Well," I began, knowing I was treading on thin ice. "I . . .well, to come right down to it, I kissed Katara yesterday."

I heard the razor clink as it hit the floor and then silence was the room's companion for a few moments.

"WHAT?" Sokka was suddenly right in front of me, shaving cream dripping menacingly from his face. "Say that again."

"I. Kissed. Katara." I knew Sokka would blow over sometime, but he was still furious at the present. More silence then Sokka stomped back into the bathroom and picked up the razor. I followed tentatively, mindful that Sokka had given his boomerang a sharpening a few days ago.

"What did she say?" Sokka said, acting indifferent.

"She told me that I wasn't allowed to kiss her, and that, she wouldn't give up Aang for the world."

"Ouch," Sokka cringed. "Wait, aren't you still with Mai?"

I sighed. _I really need gossip to spread, I never want to hear my name coupled with Mai's again. _"No," I said, smiling, "Because I love Katara more."

Sokka started to laugh, hard, but then yelped when he nicked himself with the razor. "Sounds like you have some work to do." He started to count off with his fingers, "First, you have to figure out a way to either have Katara dump Aang, or vice versa. Second, you have to make sure Mai and Aang don't kill you when you start going out with Katara. And thirdly - and slightly more important than the rest - you have to get Katara to love you."

And with that, he whipped his hair into a pony tail, cleaned off his face and pulled me to the gardens, where we were eating lunch again.  
Katara, Toph, Suki, and Aang had already assembled. Also, Kisana was there, much to my surprise. She smiled, and patted the seat next to her. I sat down looking at her questioningly.

She leaned towards me and whispered, "Katara invited me, I guess she wanted someone who could stop you from kissing her around." She paused then added, "Not that I would stop you however."

A few servants brought out some trays at that moment and we tucked in. As we ate, we made jokes, laughed, and talked about couples. I found that an interesting subject, but what interested me even more, was that it was Toph, who started the conversation.

Katara was silent throughout almost the entire meal, only speaking if she was directly asked something. She looked flushed and Toph, who was sitting between Katara and I, had been grinning the whole time too. I wondered if she could feel Katara's heartbeat, and if it was thrumming as fast as mine, every time I looked at the beautiful woman.

Kisana and Aang struck up a promising friendship, but I hoped it would stay just that, a friendship. I didn't want Aang to use my best friend as a replacement Katara, once Katara was mine. They talked about how Ty Lee, who was dating a boy from Kyoshi Island, should instead hook up with a mutual friend of theirs, a man named Wei Lan. I told the gang that I had broken up with Mai, and the whole group cheered, except Katara.

Again, I was reminded of a time when she still hadn't forgiven me for betraying her in Ba Sing Se, about four years back. The same group, except Katara, of course, had been giving me a toast for turning my life around and joining them, instead of fighting them. Katara had been cold and rude then, but now, she was just silent and despondent. She was beginning to remind me of Mai.

I tried to get Katara to talk to me but she just gave me monosyllabic answers to any of the questions I asked. Even the normally oblivious Aang was beginning to notice how quiet she was.

"Katara," He stood up and wrapped an arm around her. I somehow managed to overcome the urge to cringe. "Are you okay? You are really quiet."

Katara took a quick breath and smiled at him, "No, I'm fine."

I noticed Kisana cringe and look askance at Aang. I turned at looked at her questioningly. She shook her head and I returned to the conversation.

"Do you feel sick or something." Aang continued. "Maybe you should go take a nap."

"I told you, I'm fine." Katara snapped at the airbender. It was quiet for a few moments then talking resumed. Now Aang was quiet and Katara was talking enthusiastically.

"Kisana, why did you jump when Katara said she was fine?" I muttered so only Kisana could hear.

"Because," She whispered back. "One of the first rules that men need to learn is that if a girl says she is fine immediately after acting strangely, then she is not _fine_." Kisana glared at Aang, looking like she might throw something at him.

"What do you mean?" My voice so low I could barely hear it.

"Well, it's obvious," Toph interrupted, I jumped slightly then sighed in exhasperation. I forgot that she could hear anything and everything within twenty foot radius. "If a girl is silent for thirty minutes, only talking if she really had to, then she wouldn't be peachy, if suddenly her boyfriend that she doesn't even like . . ." Toph clamped her mouth shut and looked shocked as if the words that she just said were electric.

To me, they were. My spine was tingling and my eyes sought Katara's. She was already looking at me, smiling and the sun making her hair look like a halo around her face. I smiled back and I looked at Aang who was talking quietly with Sokka. Sokka's kept looking at me and winking. Aang was probably talking about either Katara or me, maybe even saying our names together.

"Hey," I began, looking at the table. "Why don't we walk around the gardens for a little bit?" Sokka agreed, Suki, Toph, and Kisana consenting soon after. We all stood up and started to stroll down a path lined by roses. I found myself in between Kisana and Katara and we were walking slower than the rest of the group. Aang and Sokka were in the lead, with Toph and Suki not far behind. Then Kisana skipped towards them and was let into their conversation.

"Katara," She looked up at me, blushing lightly. "Toph said something back there and I wanted to ask you about it." I wrapped my arm around hers and lead her off a different path.

"What did she say," Katara asked timidly.

"Well," I didn't want to unleash Katara's fury, especially on me. "She said that you weren't happy with Aang, is that right?" I thought she was going to explode in my face, but she surprised me by sighing and saying nothing.

I stopped and knelt down, plucking a flower from the vines spilling onto the pebble path. I handed it to her and murmured, "A penny for your thoughts."

She slipped the flower into her hair and whispered, "I don't think I love him. You were right, I'm eighteen, I need to get on with my life, without Aang."

I looked at her, a warm feeling spreading from my core all the way to my fingertips. Katara smiled and pulled my head down, so that it was level  
with hers. "I might go on with someone else though."

Katara's lips were suddenly touching mine, and for one sweet moment, she was mine. Then she let go lightly and I put my hand in hers, our fingers intertwining, I brought it up to my face, and kissed her hand softly. Her blue eyes were burning, yet still like a liquid. I kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, and finally, her lips. My hands were on her back, pulling her body closer to mine. Her arms were wrapped around my neck, and the warmth from her body melted with mine. I heard a noise and opened my eyes. Sokka and Suki were staring at us.

Katara and I jumped apart. Sokka started guffawing but Suki looked at Katara scandalized.

"What was _that_?" Suki demanded pointing at Katara and I.

"Ah, Suki," Sokka said jovially. "I forgot to tell you, but Katara and Zuko are in love."


	8. The Aruchi

His Dark Desire  
Chapter 8 "The Aruchi"

Katara ran over to Suki, "Suki, be quiet! Don't freak out, okay?" I glanced at Sokka who grinned and wrapped an arm around Suki's waist. He whispered something in her ear and a knowing smile spread across her face.

"Come on Katara, we have to go shopping." I looked questioningly at Suki.

"Why do I have to go shopping?" Katara asked walking slowly towards her friend.

"Because, tonight is the best night of the whole festival. And," Suki managed to make the word into three syllables. "If you are going to be seen with Zuko, then you have to look your best."

Before Katara could protest, Suki clapped a hand over her mouth and dragged her out the garden. Sokka was bellowing with laughter.

"Hey, where's Suki and Katara?" I turned around, hearing the Avatar's voice. Aang had just walked onto our path, quickly followed by Toph. I stammered, not knowing what to say.

"Katara and Suki just remembered they wanted to go shopping for tonight's ball." Then it hit me, _There are no performances tonight, only dancing._ The third night of this festival was called the Aruchi Ball, because a woman named Sinla Aruchi composed a song that was only played on this night. Aruchi had first played the song over two hundred years ago, and played it every year on the third night of the festival for the rest of her life. Her song has lived on, even through the war, and I restarted the tradition once I was crowned Firelord. The Aruchi Ball also signified the last night of the festival.

I returned to the conversation, "I don't understand why women must have a dress for every occasion." Toph complained.

"Toph, you_ are_ a woman!" Sokka cried, pointing at her with both arms for emphasis.

"Yes, but not one like them," Toph said stomping her foot, earth shooting up to meet her foot. The blind girl pointed at me then, "Why is your hair in a bun?" I jumped, wondering how she could see everything.

"Silly Toph, don't you know Zuko is trying to get a tan?" Aang said, putting a hand on my shoulder. We all laughed, but I pulled down my hair, embarrassed.

We started to walk back to the lunch table when all of a sudden I realized someone was missing, "Hold on, where did Kisana go?"

Aang surprised me by answering, "She went shopping as well." I stood for a minute, thinking. _Kisana, shopping? That lady has all the clothes in the world, and she told me she already had a dress for the ball._ I groaned, realizing that Kisana knew that something like this was going to happen, in fact she was probably with Katara right now, picking out a dress that I would like to see Katara in.

"Toph maybe you should go find the girls, then you won't have to be all alone with us boring men." She considered this for a moment, then shrugged and turned around, walking in the wrong direction.

"Toph-" Sokka yelled. A chunk of dirt hit his face.

"I know!" Came a cry from the gates.

I stood in my dressing room as two servants straightened my clothes and made sure that every crease and every thread was in the proper place. One servant was determined to make my life difficult. He tried to arrange my hair, and made me put on five different robes before he was happy. He wanted to have my hair up, but, after having my hair made fun of in the last week, I wanted it down. I argued with him for a full ten minutes before I had to order him to leave my hair alone. His name was Xiang, and a good friend of mine, even if he was a servant.

Finally, Xiang stood back, admiring his work.

"Are you done?" I asked, a few reprimands ready on my tongue. The man began to nod, but then quickly pulled a stray thread from my shoulder.

"Now you are done." Xiang smiled and bowed deeply. I rolled my eyes, nodding my head on my way out the door. I quickly made my way to the east wing of the palace, and knocked lightly on Katara's door. I heard a small, "Just a minute," and the door opened.

Kisana stood in the door frame, dressed completely in blue. "Nice dress," I said automatically.

She twirled and shut the door behind her, saying "Thank you," I saw her look at my outfit closely, then she snorted. "Did Xiang get to you again?" I nodded ruefully and Kisana chuckled. "I'm very sorry, but you have to go."

The sudden change in attitude alarmed me, "Why?"

"Because, the Aruchi Ball is a dance where you don't have dates, you have different dance partners throughout the night. Katara and I will see  
you there."

The door opened and Toph came out. "Hey Sparky, what's up?" I looked at her, sighing with exasperation. _If she continues to call me that, so help me . . .  
_  
"I came to pick up Katara, but Kisana says that I have to go to the Ball alone."

Kisana scoffed, pretending to be affronted by my sentence, "I never said you had to go _alone_, just not with us." She smiled, thinking that would make me feel better.

"Great, then who do I have the pleasure to arrive with?" I let some sarcasm drip into my voice.

"Them," She pointed behind me. I turned around and saw Aang and Sokka walking toward us.

"What?" I didn't want to be alone with the man I was stealing his girlfriend from, especially when that man was the Avatar. She beamed and pulled Toph back into Katara's rooms, shutting the door so quickly I couldn't see anything, or anyone, inside.

"Hey Zuko," Sokka clapped me on the back. "What're you doing here?" Aang sidled up next to him and looking at me wonderingly.

"Apparently the girls aren't letting us pick them up." I pointed to the closed door, behind which all of our loves were hiding.

"Why not?" The airbender asked, cocking his head to one side.

"They say that for tonight there's no such thing as a date, only 'dance partners'. Kisana won't even let me in." Sokka tsked, and knocked on the door.

"We aren't letting you in! So it would be wiser if you just went to the Ball and found us there." I heard several cries, all shouting, "Go away!"

"Well, lads, it looks like we've been rejected," Sokka slowly walked back to the end of the hall, "Come on, let's go." He sounded so dispirited it was pitiful.

"Oh Sokka, don't be like that! Be happy that they are actually coming and not staying hidden for the whole night." I said.

Aang and I followed him in silence, both wrapped up in our own thoughts. _Why are the girls doing this to us? I bet this was all Kisana's idea and Toph persuaded the rest of them to follow along. Katara and Suki were probably hard to convince. Toph probably only went along with it so she could dance with Aang without Katara getting in the way. I guess it helps my problem._

I walked in front of Sokka, leading them towards the ballroom. Tonight was a private affair. Every Aruchi celebration would be held at different places. People who lived in the palace could come to the celebration in the Fire Nation Palace, they could also bring a few people with them.  
The ballroom was the southern part of the palace. It took up the entire wing, both upper and lower floors. The kitchens were attached to it, and like all the other wings, a large garden surrounded it. The top floor was really just a balcony for conversing and eating, with rails lining the edges so you can see the dancers below. There were two staircases leading onto the dance floor, the rails golden and there were bits of golden thread entwined in the rug.

When we entered, many couples were already twirling across the floor.

"I'm hungry," Sokka began. Aang and I laughed, and my stomach grumbled. "That decides it, where are the refreshments?" I pointed to the upper level and we both pulled Aang up the stairs. Our efforts were unneeded, the Avatar created a spinning ball of air and rode that up the stairs. Sokka and I were both panting when we reached the top, Aang stood in front of us, looking at the large clock on the wall.

"Did the girls say when they would be coming?" I thought for a moment, trying to remember if I had the answer to the Avatar's question.

Sokka grinned, his mouth full, "Leth hope they thee uth," He swallowed, and continued. "Because we are going to be having too much fun to notice them!"

The lady I was dancing with kept batting her eyes, trying to be coquettish but failing miserably. Her name was Etsuka Zhinou, the daughter of my Navy's admiral. I had only asked her to dance with me because for political reasons. I wanted to show that I supported my Navy and did not want to disband them, contrary to some vicious rumors.

"Etsuka, what types of things are you interested in?" I asked after several winks and smiles. The question caught her mid-eye bat, and she looked bewildered for a moment.

"Er, I like painting and learning more about the truth of the war," Her honest answer shocked me in return.

"What have you learned?" I asked, intrigued by her answer.

"Well, when I was young, I had been taught that the Air Nomads had an army, so when we attacked, we weren't committing genocide, but defending our country from attack."

"I remember that from my school days too. To me it seemed like we were right and clever for attacking before they did. But when I had joined the Avatar, and lived in one of the Air temples, it seemed that such an artistically gentle people could never have an army to command."

Etsuka smiled, happy for more knowledge of the Air Nomads. The song came to a close and I escorted her back to her friends. I wandered around the ballroom, looking for my next dance partner.

Music, talk, and laughter followed me wherever I walked. I could hear the Royal Announcer calling out the names of nobles and courtiers coming to the Ball. I could hear familiar names, some that were not-so familiar, and those that I didn't know at all.

"Lady Kisana, Lady Toph, Lady Suki, and Ambassador Katara," I swung around searching for the grand staircase through the maze of chiffon and silk clothing. I finally found it, just as Katara was gracefully placing her hand on the railing. I gasped, drawing the attention of others around me. Katara was dressed completely in gold silk. Soft blue designs caressed her figure. She walked slowly down the stairs. Everyone and everything around me disappeared. All I knew was that Katara was looking directly at me and smiling.

**I have Chapter 8 up finally! yipee! Kudos to me! lol. So, good times.**

Next chapter isn't in Zuzu's point of view... it in Katara's. I know, I'm amazing. So I knew that I needed to figure out a way that we (the readers) would know when Katara and Aang break up. So I woke up this morning thinking how much I wanted to write in Katara's point of view.


	9. Katara's Perspective on Life

His Dark Desire  
Chapter 9 "Katara's Perspective of Life"  
**(Just so you guys remember, the rest of the story will be in Katara's point of view, so this chapter and all the ones following it are all Katara's thoughts)**

My heart spluttered. _He's looking at me!_ Was my first coherent thought. The next was: _And so is Aang._ For this first time in a long while, I wished Aang far, far away.

At the exact same time, Zuko and Aang started striding towards me. Because Aang had the speed of an airbender to his advantage, he reached me first.

"Katara, you look amazing." He kissed me on my lips, quick as a flash and light as a breeze. Insubstantial as always.

"Dance with me?" My boyfriend begged.

"Okay, but remember, you can't keep me for the whole night." I glanced at Zuko, pleading with my eyes to dance with someone else for the time being. He understood and marched up to Toph.

A waltz began to sound from the orchestra, so Aang and I found our feet on the ballroom floor. Aang put his hand up on my shoulder blade. His right hand clasped mine, and we started dancing to the 3/4 beat. Aang chattered away, talking about the people he had met during the festival, things he had seen. I noticed that he spoke more often of Kisana, than any other person, including myself.

"She's so funny. But I can tell that she's not a ditz like a lot of Fire Nation girls." We both looked at Ty Lee, who wasn't dancing, but rather twirling her partner around and around, springing from one step to another. The waltz then ended, and Aang led me back to the sidelines.

"I think Kisana has a new admirer," I teased. The Avatar blushed, mumbling something about him being too much in love with me to think of other girls. When I heard this, inwardly I groaned. _Must he make this so hard for me!_ Outwardly I smiled and gave him a swift peck on the cheek.

"Oh, go ask her to dance, I don't mind" _Not one bit, in fact, you can leave me for the whole evening, or week, or month . . ._

"Alright, but I'm dancing with you afterwards," Aang's words sunk in almost like a threat, and he skipped lightly towards one of the only women clad in blue.

"He sure seems happy," A quiet voice purred into my ear. I slowly turned around, looking into the deep amber eyes of Zuko.

"He's in love," I said simply, making Zuko frown with displeasure. "Not with me though, with Kisana, even if he doesn't know it yet."

That made him frown even deeper, "I wanted him to fall in love with Toph, she's besotted with him."

"If you can call besotted teasing and punching all the time then I guess you are right." We both looked at the short blind girl dancing nearby with an unfamiliar man. Suddenly, she looked up, staring at us with unseeing eyes.

"She's really creepy when she does that," I confessed. A slow, conniving grin spread across the earthbender's face. "I hate knowing that she can hear and feel everything that we do or say." I added for good measure.

"Yep, Toph's pretty much a pain," Sokka was dancing with a pretty Fire Nation girl in the middle of the bystanders.

"Sokka," I said, scrunching my eyebrows together in confusion. "The dance floor is over there," I pointed over his left shoulder.

"I know, I just asked Etsuka here, if she wanted to dance and as we were making our way over there, we noticed you two gossiping."

Etsuka smiled, "Hi, Zuko." I stiffened at her informality. Zuko started to chat politely with the girl. Apparently they had already danced together that night. It was obvious that Etsuka liked Zuko, so I started to fume. _Well, we are just going to have to make sure that Etsuka learns her place. I'm going to have to show her she's a too late, Zuko is mine._

As I was plotting Etsuka's downfall, Zuko said good-bye to my brother and his current dance partner.

"Happy?" Zuko's voice pulled me out of my daydream where Etsuka was wearing a beautiful and irreplaceable dress, when she trips and tumbles down a staircase. Her dress and hair are ruined, her tears of embarrassment and shame smearing her makeup. Zuko's voice alerted me to the world just as a large group began to point and laugh at her.

I smiled sheepishly, looking up at Zuko's beautiful face. "Very happy," He laughed and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in for what I thought was a quick kiss. Instead he pressed his lips against mine, our lips acting as once instead of two separate pairs of lips.

I had to remind myself several times that we were in a very public place, and that I wasn't exactly at liberty to kiss Zuko. I gently pried my arms out of Zuko's grip and smiled into his eyes. He looked down at me, smiling apologetically, "Oops."

"Yeah," Then I noticed the reflection in Zuko's eyes. Aang was coming toward me, and quickly. "Zuko, quick, take me to the dance floor before Aang gets to me!"

"But of course, my lady." I set my hand lightly in the crook of his elbow and he swept me off the ballroom floor, leaving Aang standing alone, bewildered.

A deep slow song groaned out of the instruments at the end of the room. Zuko set his hand on mine, leading me into the first steps of the ballad. I lightly pressed my other hand behind his neck, letting my fingers knot themselves into his hair. He closed his eyes and moved slowly and continuously through the dance, almost showing off he was so good at this dance.

I had seen him fail miserably at many dances, but this one, I could tell he loved. It was the Aruchi. The lyrics was one only people truly in love could fully understand. Gracefully, we turned about the floor, rotating to the traditional steps, but creating our own dance.

The song ended, but we still danced, leisurely making our way out the gardens. When we were no longer inside, we stepped apart, but his hand still kept mine. I sat down on the grass next to a pond. A few turtleducks came swimming towards me, but when they found I had nothing to offer them, paddled away.

I looked up at Zuko, who was standing but drawing designs on my hand. "Zuko, you seem extremely quiet."

He laughed silently, "I just remembered something. Today is my mother's birthday." I suddenly recalled the day when we were in a large green crystal cave together. I had offered to heal him of his scar. We had told each other somewhat of our mothers. He had told me only that his mother, Ursa, had left one night, without an explanation. The next day, Zuko's father had become Fire Lord, Ozai's predecessor had died unexpectedly, but naturally.

Zuko loved his mother more than anyone I knew. Excepting myself. "Have you ever tried to find her?" I asked innocently.

"Yes. Two days after I was crowned Fire Lord, I went to see my father in a prison. I asked him where she lived, but he laughed in my face, telling me that she was probably already dead." Zuko stopped suddenly, wiping something away from his eyes. I stood up and hugged him, but he continued on, "After that, I searched through the Hall of Records, where any, and all crimes and punishments are recorded and left for research. I looked through the book that kept all the punishments of the time when my mother was banished." I looked at him questioningly.

"Oh, I forgot I never told you about that." He sat down at a base of a tree, pulling me down with him. I nestled against his chest, and laid back.

"On the day of the solar eclipse, I finally came to a decision. I would join the Avatar, defeat my father, and ultimately save the world. When I went to the safe chamber, I told my father that I needed to speak with him. I told him of what I had seen and heard during my banishment. I told him that no one was happy, even his own subjects. I said that I was going to leave him, and join you and the gang. I brought my twin swords, knowing I was going to need some… incentive for him to stay and not call the guards.

"As I began to leave, he asked me if I wanted to know what happened to my mother. He informed me that in order for him to become Fire Lord, he was going to have to kill me. And he was going to do it. In order to save me, my mother did something, Father said they were 'treasonous deeds'. Because of them, he immediately became Fire Lord, and he banished Mother for her act of treason." He stopped and picked up my hands, holding them tightly within his own.

"What do you think she did?" I asked.

"I think she killed my grandfather, the current Fire Lord." His hands clenched even more.

"Did she say anything to you, before she left I mean?"

"Yes, but I can't remember." I knew he was lying, but I didn't want pry any more than I already was.

"How are you going to find her?"

"I'm going to see my _dear _father again."

**tell me what you think of it, do you like hearing things in Katara' PoV?**


	10. Boyfriends

His Dark Desire  
Chapter 10 Boyfriends

"Zuko, you can't be serious," I started, grabbing onto his arm. "You know how manipulative Ozai is. He'll twist you into a bloodthirsty creature, no morals, just evil!"

Zuko looked down and swallowed, "I know, that why I"m bringing you along to watch me."

"No,"

"Katara, please," he picked up my hand, begging me. "I need to know if my mother is still alive."

I closed my eyes, thinking over the very few pro's and the many con's. "Okay, after the Ball, though."

Zuko smiled and we walked back inside the ballroom. As soon as we crossed the threshold, I wiped my worries from my mind and put on a happy smile. I saw Aang and he waved at me from across the room, and I smiled wider. _The one thing that I give him that he can keep._ Then I was reminded that I need to break up with Aang. All my worries came flooding back.

I excused myself from Zuko, and wove through all the talking, laughing, and flirting courtiers. "Oh, Agni, what have I gotten myself into?" I wondered aloud. I stepped wearily up the stairs to the second floor, stopped at the refreshment table for a quick drink.

"Katara, how are you? I don't think we have spoken during your entire stay here," I looked up and saw Mai staring me down.

"I'm lovely. I have been enjoying my vacation from my duties as an ambassador." I said automatically.

"Wonderful," Mai drawled. "I thought that with all the time you've been spending with the Firelord, you were talking to him about politics, but now you saw you are on a vacation from your duties? How interesting," Her voice began to drip with acid and I could almost smell the sick odor.  
"What have you been talking about?"

"Oh, this and that. Earlier we talked about how tiring our responsibilities can be, and we have been talking about our friends."

"Ah, gossip. What a coincidence, I heard a very interesting bit of gossip just this morning."

"Oh, what was it?"

"That you and Zuko are having an affair behind the Avatar's back. The poor boy doesn't have even an inkling of an idea." I narrowed my eyes, and my fist tightened, I felt the water in the cup I was holding turn to ice. "I wonder what the Avatar would do to his girlfriend if he found out, maybe I should advise him."

I had never liked the tall girl, but now something akin to loathing froze my heart. "Mai, why are you doing this? I was planning on breaking up with Aang tonight anyway."

"Don't you want to be a lady, and let your ex feel better by dumping you?" She smiled innocently, and started walking backwards, "Ta!"

I snapped, the ice in my cup turned back into a liquid and flew out, hitting Mai in the face. She screamed and I saw a glint in her palm, I ducked just in time.

"Mai, I have both the Water tribes and the Firelord to back me up, I wouldn't try to kill me just now."

"Well," she snickered. "I'll have the Avatar."

I could still hear the music out in the gardens, although it was nearly dawn. I was sitting by the pond again, letting the turtle ducks nibble on my fingers and toes.

"Hey Sugar-Queen, why are you out here all by your lonesome?" Toph's loud footsteps pounded next to me, and the earth bender plopped down beside me.

"No reason, I guess I couldn't hear myself think, so I came out here where it's quieter."

"Katara, I felt you walk out here over four hours ago. What is going on?"

"I haven't broken up with Aang yet."

Her mouth fell open, "You're going to dump him? Why?"

"I find it very hard to believe that you don't know the reason."

"Ok fine, so what, just because your heart does a jig every time Zuko walks in the room, you're going to break up with Aang?"  
"Yes, don't you agree that that's the best idea?"

"Don't get me wrong, you know that I'm all for the idea of you breaking up with Aang, but really, you want to hook up with Sparky? Girl, you need perspective." She shook her head and punched my arm.

"Ouch, I didn't do anything to receive one of your 'affectionate punches!'"

"That one wasn't affectionate." Toph stood up and stomped, the ground hit my rear and I shot up into the air, landing in the pond. "Have fun,"

I squelched out and pulled the water out of my dress, making sure not one part of my dress, hair, and body was wet. "Toph, I hate you sometimes."

She laughed from the doorway. I followed her and quickly found Aang, who was begging Toph to dance with him. She was blushing and ducking her head, but she willingly followed him to the floor. I glanced around the room, searching for Zuko. He was nowhere to be seen.

As the song was ending, I walked the perimeter of the room, looking for my tall, dark, and handsome almost-boyfriend. Just as I thought I saw him, a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me to the middle of the dance floor.

Aang wrapped his arms around me and we started dancing.

"Toph says you have something you want to tell me,"

"I - I - Er," My eyes flew around the room, and I stared at Toph, who was smirking up a sandwich. I swallowed, mustering up my courage. "I'll tell you in a minute."

"Ok." My boyfriend looked at me, questioningly, but I paid no attention to him. The silence grew until it was unbearable, the air was so thick with it.

Finally, the droning song came to a close, and I stepped out of Aang's hands.

"Will you tell me now?" He smiled, but then his smile faltered when he saw my expression.

"I want to break up." Aang looked at me like I was joking, but slowly, he realized I was serious. His eyes turned to flat stone, and the voice of a distant Avatar answered me.

"As you wish, Katara. I bid you a good night." And then he was the little boy I found in the iceberg, so many years ago, scared and vulnerable to the world. "Why?"

"Because, I don't love you like that anymore. I won't say we can still be friends unless you want to still be my friend." I looked into his grey eyes.

Those eyes had always been windows to his soul. When Appa had been stolen, Aang's eyes never lit up, if he smiled, it never reached his eyes. Any time he was happy, you could practically see his eyes grinning and laughing. Now, they just looked young and wounded.

"Of course we will still be friends, but I can't say the same thing about your next boyfriend." He tried to smile, and I gave him an extremely quick hug.

I turned around and stepped up the grand stairs, left through the double doors, and walked back to my rooms. I quickly undressed and took a long, hot bath. I twisted the water around me, stood up in the bath-tub and let the water fall down on me like rain. The pattering against my skin soothed my mind and weary body. I stopped the shower of water and dried off, slowly, so I wouldn't jar myself back to worrying. I put on my night robes and collapsed on my bed, falling into an exhausted sleep. I didn't wake up until the afternoon.

I probably only woke up because I was so hungry. I managed to pull myself off my gargantuan bed, make myself presentable, and stumble to the Dinner Hall, where food was almost always being set out for the late or early eaters. Today there were lots of people yawning over their soup or salad. I picked up the first plate I saw, which happened to be a too-spicy salad. Stupid Fire Nuts.

"So how long ago did you wake up?" Sokka plopped down in the seat across from me, purple bags under his eyes.

"About ten minutes, you?"

I never fell asleep, I just came down here to haunt any of my friends that might have managed to sleep." He chuckled weakly, and propped his head up with a fist.

"Why didn't you go to sleep?" I asked surprised. If there were two things that Sokka was the champion of, it was sleeping and eating.

"I was dancing and having too much fun. When the ball finally ended, I didn't think to go to sleep, and by the time I did, they were starting to serve lunch."

"Oh my, Sokka, what are we going to do with you? Aren't you leaving today?" I reminded him.

"Oh, crap. I forgot about that." He squinched up his eyes and pouted. "Mommy, why didn't you tell me it was past my bedtime?"

I rolled my eyes and hit him upside the head. "You are a lunatic." I gulped down my food and set the dirty plate on the counter where a servant picked it up and washed it.

"That I may be, but at least I know not to get tangled in too many love triangles."

"Sokka, go away," I said, shooing him.

He paid no attention, but continued on, "Lets see, Toph likes Aang, but Aang likes Kisana, but is still going out with you, who is head-over-heals for Zuko, who returns the favor, but has to deal with Mai. I think that's . . ." He started to count on his fingers, "Seven triangles!" He shouted, "Take a break sister!"

People at the tables around us, looked at him strangely, shaking their heads when they recognized him as the psycho-Water Tribe boy. I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the corridor.

"Go. AWAY! I really don't need this at the moment. Oh, and by the way, you forgot that I dumped Aang." I turned around and stormed off.


	11. Ozai

His Dark Desire  
Chapter 11 "Information"

Instead of returning to my rooms, I walked up a staircase and wandered around, passing by servants and courtiers. I asked a servant where the Firelord's study was and she gave me directions. I had to walk up another pair of stairs, pass by the throne room, and give a pair of guards my name, title, and what my business with Zuko was.

One of the guards knocked on the gilded door and said, "Your Majesty, Ambassador Katara to see you."

The guards and I waited for a reply, but none came. The other guard smiled absently and hit the other one on the head.

"Idgit! Firelord Zuko 'asn't come in yet! Beggin' yer pardon miss, but I would think that the Firelord is still sleepin' after 'is lit'l party last night. If we see 'im, we'll tell 'im you came, right?"

I nodded, "Yes, thank you. But I really do need to speak with him. Could you give me directions to his chambers?"

The more articulate guard bowed, "Of course Ambassador, I know this castle like I know my own mother's face. Just go down the stairs you just came from, take a left, and knock on the first pure gold doors you see." He laughed and returned to his position of attention.

I followed his directions, and, although I did see many doors that had gold on them, none of them were pure gold. Then I saw them. Zuko's doors were so extremely pure gold, the straight yellow hurt my eyes from the light coming off of them.

I timidly walked up to them, and knocked quietly. No answer.

"Zuko, um, its Katara." I felt stupid talking to myself, until I heard what I was hoping I wouldn't hear. A loud snore. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" I said as I turned the intricately carved gold door handle, and walked in.

Zuko was lying in his bed curled up at the very top, and every so often a snore would roll out of his mouth. He wasn't even under his blankets, Zuko looked like a rag doll thrown horizontally so that his back was touching the headboards.

"You are so stupid sometimes," I muttered. I picked up a throw blanket and placed it on him. I sat down beside his head and started stroking his hair, humming to myself.

Zuko stirred, pulling the blanket tighter around him and looked up at me, squinting.

"Why hello, sire, did you sleep well?" I smiled, and stood up so Zuko could stretch and yawn, but partly because he had morning breath.

"Who let you in here?" He asked, not trying to stand up, but instead flopping back down, grabbing my hand and placing it on his head. I looked at him questioningly, "Play with my hair some more, it felt good."

I rolled my eyes and tapped him on his forehead, "Get up."

Zuko groaned, and pulled himself into a sitting position. "So what are we going to do today?" He asked, itching his stubbly chin.

"Nice beard," I said sarcastically.

"I know, I love it. The scratchiness just makes my day." He grinned and got up, walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. "Why are you in here, I really don't enjoy women in my room while I'm trying to dress."

"Oh, _my_," I said, sitting back down on the edge of his bed.

"Again, I ask, what are we doing today?" He called from behind his door.

"I was under the impression you wanted to see your father, you know ask him something?" The door opened and Zuko stood in the doorframe, a razor in his hand and a now smooth face.

"Now?"

"Yes, you said, 'After the Aruchi Ball', well it's after!"

His eyebrows crammed together, "I changed my mind. I can find my mother without his help."

I jumped back up and strode over to him, "No, you know you need to talk to him, if only to find out where he banished Ursa or where she was the last time he received a report on her."

Zuko turned around and slammed the door again. I heard crashing and banging and a few grunts. After a few minutes, Zuko walked back out, fully garbed in his royal attire.

"Are you really going to wear the spikes?"

"Open the gates!" Zuko shouted to the guards on the walls

The large iron gates groaned open, and I grabbed Zuko's hand. Squeezing my hand, Zuko started walking forward, almost dragging me behind him. Every thing in the jail spoke of suffering, guilt, and evil. The black doors and dark cells seemed to glare at me and stare me down. The long, dismal corridor loomed on deeper into the hill the jail was carved into.

Zuko and I walked for about ten minutes, deeper and deeper into the heart of the hill when at last, we stopped in front of a door, guarded by four men.

"Let us in," Zuko ordered, and promptly the men sprang to obey him. The keys to the door jangled as they were jambed into the lock and turned. One of the guards ushered us in while another opened a second locked door.

"So much security from a man who can't even bend," I whispered.

"My father is the world's most evil man, even now." Zuko turned and looked at me. "Don't talk unless I ask you to, and don't listen to whatever cruel thing he says, he's just trying to scare you." Zuko stared into my eyes. "Promise?"

I nodded my head, too frightened to vocalize my agreement. Zuko curtly nodded to the guard who opened the last door. I stepped forward and the door shut behind us.

"So, who is this? Your fiancé, maybe some woman you want to scare by showing her to me. Or perhaps a gift to me, for these years of cooperation." Ozai leered at me, his eyes boring into mine.

"Shut up," Zuko said quietly. "I came to ask you something, something that I have already asked you once but you refused to answer."

"Ah, you wish to know where your beloved mother is, isn't that right?" Ozai settled back on his bench, and clasped his hands together in a business-like way.

"You will answer me this time, or I will take it from you forcefully." Zuko glared at his father.

"What, torture and maim your own father?" Ozai grinned, raising an eyebrow.

"You tortured your own son and millions of others. Why should you receive any better treatment?" Zuko was frustrated now. I could tell he didn't want to be here anymore than I did, and Ozai was getting under his skin.

I placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder and shook my head. Zuko looked at me and glanced down, ashamedly.

"Please tell me that girl isn't mute." Ozai laughed.

I glanced at the horrid man, and placed a hand on one of my hips, "No, your Highness," I said sarcastically, "I _was_ blessed with a voice."

"Oh, good. I was beginning to worry. No doubt Zuko told you not to talk to me. Such a strange fellow, wouldn't you agree?" Zuko and I exchanged a quick glance. "So you did tell her that! An admirable precaution, but unneeded. I promise to be good as gold during your short visit." Ozai cackled again. I heard Azula's maniac laugh in that cackle and a chill ran down my spine

I turned on the king who had caused untold damage to the world and people's lives. "Are you going to answer Firelord Zuko, or do we need to call the Avatar?" I asked boldly.

"Zuko," smirked Ozai, "you chose well. This woman has spirit as well as beauty."

"Yes, she does. But I want to know the location of another woman like her. Where is my mother?" Zuko said so powerfully I shivered.

"That, I do not know."

"What?" I cried, "Not possible. We looked through the records and we know that you kept tabs on your wife. Tell us where she is!"

Ozai looked at me calculatingly, "I'm sorry Ambassador, I truly do not know where Ursa is. While I was still Firelord, she would wander around, and it would take weeks for one of my sentries to find her. She only stays in the Earth Kingdom though, doesn't like boats you see, so she stayed away from the Water Tribes."

The fact that Ozai knew who I was sent chills down my spine, and I could see it affected Zuko as well. However, I brushed that scary sentiment off surprisingly easily. "So, you do know the general area that she is in, tell us more."

"My dear Ambassador, I simply cannot tell you more." Ozai snickered.

I ground my teeth together, I turned to Zuko, "This is hopeless, call Toph."

Zuko grinned and stepped out of the room to tell a guard. While he was gone, I turned my complete attention back to Ozai.

"Listen up, Firelord Zuko asked you a question, does not your sense of honor require to at least give him a knowledgeable answer?"

"Not really, seeing that since I was stripped of my power, rank, and ability to bend, I have no honor left." The once ruthless and terrifying king sounded bitter and his eyes looked like golden flames. The simple truth of that phrase sent me flying back to a time when Zuko thought he had to regain his honor by capturing or killing Aang, the Avatar.

I knelt down on the ground, staring him in the eye. "You tell him where Ursa is, or I _will_ have you either killed or just forgotten. No one will hear your cries, no one will open those doors to give you food, water, blankets in the winter. You will simply be an old man, trying to uphold his dignity by demeaning others."

Ozai knelt down in front of me, a mere foot and a few metal bars between us. "You get me better living conditions and better service and I'll tell you exactly were my precious wife is."

Just then, Zuko came back in, followed closely by the formidable eathbender, Toph Be Fong.

"Hey, what do you know, its King of the Loosers." Toph said cheerfully, as she stomped, sending a wave of rock to hit Ozai, knocking him so that his knee was bent into a respectful bow.

"Ma'am, may I stand up now?" Ozai said through clenched teeth. I looked down, and sure enough, rock cuffs were holding Ozai in place.

"Whatever," Toph jerked her head and a throne of rock pushed its way from the ground. She sauntered over to it and sat down, the cuffs on Ozai's wrists and ankles, falling off.

"So," Toph said, nonchalantly. "So, apparently I'm here to see when he's lying. You may begin your questioning." She settled back into her chair.

"Hold on a moment, the Ambassador and I have already come to an agreement." Ozai looked back at me, as did Zuko.

"So I heard," Toph interrupted my explanation before a sound came out of my mouth. "Although it wasn't good one."

And the new negotiations began.


	12. Forms of Love

His Dark Desire  
Chapter 12 "Three Discussions, a Scrimmage, and an Exceptional Lady"

**Hey all! Sorry it took me a month to upload this chappy. I was off in Hawaii, then work, then parents. Lets just say Summer in my home does not involve me having twenty minutes to upload this. I edited only a little bit, so excuse me for my juvenile writing style, remember, I wrote this in '08... ahh, sweet innocent youth. P.S- at that age, I had comma diarrhea, so pardon the random commas in the middle of sentences.**

Zuko took me back to my room and excused himself. About ten minutes later there was a knock on my door.  
"Can I come in?" I turned around to see Aang poking his head into my bedroom.

"Of course, what kind of question is that?"

He closed the door behind him, turning his back to me. When he turned around I could see the anger behind his eyes. After several minutes of tense silence, he finally met my gaze, hundreds of questions racing through his eyes.

"Why?" his voice was old, aged through hardship and loss.

"I- Because I realized I was wrong." I managed to say after a moment's hesistation. "I see now that I never felt the same way you did about me.

"But, Katara, why? Was I not loving enough, good enough? What?"

"No! You must never think that." I paused again, not knowing how to continue. "Do you remember what happened on the top of the submarine, on the day of the invasion?"

"I kissed you." He said, not understanding what I was saying.

"No, you interrupted me." He frowned and opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it again.

"Aang, you weren't listening that day. I was saying how proud I was of you, how you had grown over the months I had known you. But not once did I say I thought of you in any other light than that of a friend. I didn't have a chance because you kissed me, to stop my words. Whether you recognized that fact or not, it still happened."

I walked up to him and had him sit down in the chair next to me. "Aang, I'm sorry, but you just assumed that we were meant for each other. For a while, I thought it would be okay, that being your girlfriend was the best possible thing for me." I placed a hand on his face, forcing him to look me in the eye. "It took me three years to realize that I was wrong."

"You're my best friend and no matter what I'll always have your back, but I can't be at your side." By this time, Aang's frown had grown deeper, but the anger that was so wrong to see on his young face dissipated.

The next day, I waved good-bye to my brother, Suki and Aang as Appa took off of the ground.

Over the next two weeks, I was pretty much a servant to Zuko. I was completely willing to help, of course, but the errands I was sent on exhausted me so much that at night as soon as I laid down, I fell asleep. But, as the days continued, I would get less and less sleep as the moon waxed.

One day I spent an entire day of sending out papers and flyers all over the world, telling Ursa that she is no longer banished, all of her charges were cleared and that we beg her to return to the Fire Nation. That night I could not even sleep, the next night would be the full moon and I would practically have to bend in order to think.

I slept all the next day, catching up on my lost sleep. As soon as I woke up and readied myself, I left to Zuko's quarters.

"Katara, you look like you desperately need sleep," Zuko said as I walked in his office.

"I already got some," I said through a yawn. I chuckled and sat down on a couch. I heard a rustle of papers and soon Zuko was sitting by me, debriefing me on the search for his mother.  
"I don't see what this has to do with me." I said, irritably. Zuko rolled his eyes and hit me slightly over the head.

"Go back to bed." And he stood up, pulling me up with him.

"I wish I could, but the moon's almost up, I won't be able to sleep through that." Zuko looked shocked.

"You can't sleep when it's the full moon?"

"Well, really for only three days, the days before and after the full moon, and the full moon itself." I explained.

"What do you do then?" He said, sitting me back down and holding my hands.

I sighed, "Well, usually I just practice waterbending but winters in Fire Nation suck. Its way too dry. Anywhere else, I practice pulling water out of the air, grass and other plants, but I'm afraid that if I do that now, the plants will die because they will run out of water.

Zuko sat for a moment, taking it all in. "Once, I saw you bend with no water and you made a man move to your hand motions. How is this possible?" He spoke, of course, about bloodbending a Southern Raider captain while I was in search of my mother's killer.

"Bloodbending," I stated grimly I took a deep breath and started to explain what Hama taught me years ago. "I can only bloodbend during the full moon, when my bending powers are at their highest. It took the woman who showed me how many years to master, but I mastered it in one night.

"When you bloodbend a person, your will completely overrides their own, and their body does whatever you command them. In order to teach me, Hama almost killed Sokka and Aang, but I stopped her just in time. Bloodbending is horrible and very dangerous, but has its advantages."

"It sounds much like creating and redirecting lightning." Zuko said after a moment of silence. Silence once again reigned the room as we thought about our experiences and knowledge of blood and lightning.

"Will you use bloodbending on me?" Zuko asked suddenly.

"NO, I will not! Do you have any idea of how horrible it is?" I cried, my voice escalating an octave.

"Well, if I give you permission, then it can't be _that_ horrible." Zuko said, as if he knew what he was talking about. "Please, I just want to try it. If you have to force your will over the person you are trying to bloodbend, then that means that you must have greater willpower than the person you are bending, right?"

I nodded, seeing where he was going with this. "Well, then I want to see if your will is greater than mine." He smiled at the challenge he placed before me.  
We both stood up and moved away from anything too fragile.

I raised my arms and concentrated on all the energy Yue's spirit was giving me. As I tried to move Zuko's limbs he started taunting me, making me angrier and angrier.

"Weakling!" He cried at me, "Fool, insignificant thing, you will be crushed like all those before you, your tribe, crushed and demolished!

"Don't you know that to waterbend, I must be calm and quiet?" I asked, some-what bored.

"Yeah, that's kind of why I'm trying to piss you off." Immediately the rage that was just under my skin flew away, as did some of my energy.

I started praying silently to Tui and La, the moon and water spirits, but I simply used Yue's name instead of the two spirits who rule my bending. I asked her for more energy, I had something planned for Zuko.

Immediately, energy flowed into my veins, and I felt Zuko's will falter and then vanish. I raised my hand, and Zuko's left foot lifted up. I set it back down again, and then lifted up my other hand, bringing Zuko's right foot up. I did this repeatedly, walking him towards me.

Then I shook, sending my energy instead to his hands, which I raised and clasped around my neck. I moved Zuko's face forward and had him kiss me.

I dropped my hands and giggled as I felt Zuko regain control of his limbs, and he kissed me again.

We both started laughing, and sat back down on the couch, both trying to explain what it felt like. Zuko was rushing to tell me how strange it felt to have absolutely no control of his body, just as I was telling him what if felt like to be holding his will in my hands.

Minutes later, a servant found us like that, laughing and babbling on and on. "Sir, there is a woman at the gates asking for a meeting with you."

"Did she give a name?" the Firelord asked.

"No, sir, she only said what I told you."

"Very well, show her to the east wing" Zuko's formality with his servant surprised me. I had always thought him to be as open (kind or otherwise), as he was with me or his friends, to everyone.

We walked quietly and silently, each absorbed in our own thoughts. As we neared the east wing, I realized that my rooms were in the east wing, and the throne room, or even the conference room was no where near the east wing. _Why are we going to the east wing?_ I wondered.

Even though we had hurried, the woman had beaten us there. she was standing with her back toward us, looking out one of the windows overlooking the garden. Zuko stopped walking, but I continued on, not halting until I was at the woman's side. I stared out the window as well, folding my arms across my chest

"Hello," The woman began, her voice was quiet, and had the potential to be happy, but at the moment was tired. Quietly she spoke, as if to herself, "It's been so long since I was here last."

"Hello, my name is Katara. You have visited the palace before?"

She ignored my question, but instead commented on my name, "Ah, the ambassador then, I've heard your name many times. I'm a physician of sorts and one of the women I tend told me that you delivered one of her children, a little girl named Hope."

I had been fourteen years old, the gang had been on our way to Ba Sing Se. Appa had was still in the clutches of the Dai Li, so we were helping a family of refugees across the Serpent's Pass. One of the women was pregnant and had gone into labor, so I helped her.

"How is the girl?" I said, thinking about the little fuzz ball that had been such a help in Aang's depression period.

"She's happy and thriving," the un-named woman turned and smiled at me, and for the first time I could see the color of her eyes. They were the color of honey, gold, and warmth. They were Zuko's eyes.

"Who are you?" I asked bluntly.

"My name is Lysina at the moment, but I used to be called Princess Ursa, wife and humble servant of the late Firelord Ozai."

"Mother," I heard Zuko's voice croaked out of his throat. Ursa turned around, glancing around the room for the speaker, finally resting on Zuko when she realized that there was no one else in the room but the three of us.

"Zuko? What happened?" She flew to his side and hesitantly put a hand on his scar.

"Father decided that speaking out of turn was punishable by an Agni Kai, I refused to fight him, and he banished me, just like you." Zuko said matter-of-factly.

"Ambassador, I know of your abilities, can you not heal him?' She swung around and glared at me like it was my fault his scar was still there, or had even been there in the first place.

"Well, once, I almost did, but then we were interrupted." I glanced at Zuko and I could practically hear what he was thinking. A faint smile crossed his face as he recalled the touch of my hand on his cheek, four years ago.

"I don't want to be healed," Zuko said, surprising Ursa and I.

"You don't want to be healed," Ursa echoed. "Why not?"

"I like the reminder every time I look in a mirror that tyranny gets you nowhere. Power will always be held with the people, not the sovereignty."

I stared at him, wondering what could possible be going on in his head. One look at Ursa told me she was thinking the same thing.

"Ambassador, could you excuse us for a while?" Ursa said, not looking at me.

I nodded and opened the door to my room, pausing a moment, wondering if I should leave. I finally closed the oak door behind me. I heard the faint rustle of robes as they moved to the chambers next to mine.I started to undress, pulling the belt from around my waist, and letting it drop to the floor. I stopped there, and sat down at my vanity, combing through my hair, just listening to the voices in the other room. And for the first time in many years, I fell asleep during the full moon.

When I woke up, it was completely silent. I couldn't even hear a bird singing in the garden below. I groggily got out of bed, only to freeze when I heard a door open, and sneaky footsteps. I spun around, drawing water from the air around me as I did so.

"Goodness, Katara, no need for that," Suki giggled, and sat down on my bed.

"I seriously thought you were going to attack her. Calm down," I flipped around to see Ty Lee pirouette and land gracefully beside her friend.

"Go away, I want to sleep!" I moaned, and flopped back down, flinging the water out the window. We all heard a shrill cry. Suki, Ty Lee and I exchanged a quick glance and ran to the balcony.

Ursa was wringing water out of her hair, completely drenched.

"Sorry!" I shouted, waving at her.

"I planned on taking a warm bath but instead I get a cold shower!" Ursa laughed up at us.


End file.
